Store Photo Record For Free

These original wooden boxes are safe to use as long as they are sound and in good condition. Your plastic based photographs, such as negatives and slides, should always be stored in paper, for example, sleeves or four flaps. Plastic should not be used due to the concern over microenvironments.

Archival boxes These are the best option for your albums and scrapbooks (and photos!) for long-term preservation. If you have no intentions of future digitization, keep them safe longer in an archival box, but make sure it's worthy of your belongings.

Archival photo storage boxes are the best way to preserve a large collection of photos, along with associated negatives if they have been kept, while taking up the least amount of space.

Use an archival-quality box or album Whether you prefer to stack photos in a box or arrange them in an album, it's best to look for a storage option that's free of acid and lignin (an acidic compound that gives trees their rigidity). It's also good to avoid dyes and recycled materials.

In addition to our line of custom archival boxes, University Products offers photo pages and sleeves that have passed the PAT. Per the recommendation of the National Archives, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene enclosures provide the most stable and non-damaging storage environment for archiving your photos.

Store loose pictures in a photo-safe container & do not over or under-fill these containers. Look for photo-safe plastic containers containing uncoated polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester as these can withstand temperature fluctuations. Also seek out containers that are free of acid, lignin and PVC.

A: The best way to store photos long-term is a combination of archive boxes, data-filled index cards and climate-controlled self-storage. Archive boxes will provide your photos an acid-free home and protect them from sunlight and exposure.